Rear view mirror



il H. OISHE! REAR VIEW MIRROR Filed July 2G, 1926 .fm/enter @aries HOliv/lez) l @Mwqd Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICECHARLES H. OISHEI, OF DETROIT,VMICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR TO TRIGO PRODUCTSCORPORA- TION, 0F ]?UE`1.5.]'.0,r NEW- YORK A REAR VIEW MIRRORApplication led July 26,

"S manufacturers of automobiles, the aesthetic qualities of automobileshave become of great moment and the interior linish of closed cars inVparticular has gained considerable importance asa selling factor forthe vehicle.

l* The several instruments on the instrumentboard are framed byenclosures, the design of each being in harmony with the lines of thevehicle as well as with each other. These harmonious trimmings of theinteriors of Pi closed cars have also extended to the different windowand windshield controlling devices which, are arranged ofi' or away fromthe 1nstrument board. At present, the rear view mirrors, by reason oftheir peculiar and d20. bracket mountings,`present more or less un .25of the car.

sightly andincongruous spectacles in sharp Vcontrast with the otherwiseharmonious finished interior of-the motor vehicle and devtract'much`from the otherwise attractiveness The object of the present inventionis to provide a rear view mirror bracket which will harmonize with theinterior fimshmgs of the car and permit the manufacturer to attain thatdegree oiexcellence in the trim of 'the car which he has set out toaccomplish.v

The invent-ion further has for an object to provide a harmonious coverplate for concealing the hitherto unsightly body portion of the mirrorbracket and rendering such bracket in Vfull accord withthe remainingrinterior fixtures of the vehicle.

. Inthe drawings,

1 is anrinterior view of a ymotor vehicle of the closed car type,depicting more or less schematically'the several instruments andcontrolslin association with the improved mirror bracket, clearlyshowing the harmoniousefiect of the present invention.

1926. Serial No. 124,871.

line 3 3 of Fig. 2, further disclosing the i formation of the coverplate, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. o

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral ldesignates the instrument board of a closed car showing the severalinstruments enclosed in frames 2 of a harmonious design. The numeral 3indicates the steering column bracket while the numeral 4 indicates thewindshield control, both devices having a design in harmony with that ofthe frames 2. In the modern vehicle, this harmonious effect is carriedout in the finish of the several instruments and controls within the caras well as without, as in the radiator and headlights, thereby producinga pleasing and aesthetic effect which weighs mightily in the offering ofthe vehicle to a prospective customer or pur-" chaser. f

In the mounting of rear view mirrors w1thin the passenger compartment ofclosed cars,

vit is frequently necessary to lower the mirror to a plane at aconsiderable distance from its point of attachment to the vehicle so asto permit the driver or operator of the car to obtain his desired fieldof vision to the rear yof the vehicle. Owing to this fact, it has beennecessary kto provide mirror supporting brackets with long dependingarms from which the mirror is supported in a lower plane, therebyexposing the body portion of the bracket to the View of the passengerswithin the car. With the several instruments and controls within the carfinished ofi' in'harmony, the bare bracket of the rear view mir rorextends out in bold contrast, thereby accentuating its unsightliness anddetracting more or less from the otherwise pleasing interior finish ofthe vehicle. The bracket comprises a bar-like body portion 5 which isattached to the vehicle above the windshield by a plurality of screws 6,and from the ends of the bar-like body portion 5 extend a pair of arms 7which are suitably apertured or slotted for receiving the adjustmentbolt 8 which also passes through the rearwardly extending arms 9 of themirror plate or body l0 for permitting more or less universal adjustmentof the mirror whereby the driver may obtain the desired field of visionto the rear. The body portion of the bracket, which is exposed to viewabove the mirror plate 10 consists of a strip of metal which has nobeauty in itself, and therefore the cover plate l1 is superposed onthisbody portionso as to vconceal theV same and render the bracket as awhole, harmonious with the interior finish of the vehicle.

Inthe' present'inveiition, the cover 'plate 1 being preferably spacedfront. the adjacent Wall'of'thevehicle body, as by sustaining spacers,-or suitable spacing lugs (not shown) on the bracket body. Thecoverplatenot only accords afin-ish to theA bracket in full 90 harmony ywith 'thegeneral' Ldesign carriedl out in f the'interiorj finishing of thevehicle, but

conceals thefbarelikebody porti'oir as well as its attaching screws6i.'v Y y Suitable" means may-'be providedlforI preventing unauthorizeddisplacement, Vsuch means in the present instance consistingfofaV screwllwliich'isf passed through an vaperture iii thel'oweriportionofthecover plate and kdirectly into the wall ofthe vehicle body. 40 This'attaching' screvvI securelylholdsthecover plate; against4` verticalmovement and consequently retainsthe lugs 13' 'in their operativepositionforwsecuring the upperportion of the fc'over 'platef againstVoutward Avibration' 'or screw'flllin accordance `with the finish ofthecover'plate', it'sfappearance is1 merged into that ofthe plate itself'and is, there-fore, un-

objectionable. In lieu of th-eattaching 'screw :S0wz 14, theflowerportion of the cover Vplate may b'efpr'ovidedwith a barbedl point"yintegral With'the'body plate and vcapable of'beingfirmly embedded inthewall of the 'vehicle"body. 'Asltlie cover' plate is separate from" theV` bracket,` the/'bracket may. be mad-e from` an unfinished orfclieali)grade of material Awhich neednot'jbe finished at all. The saine styleo'fjbi'acketmaybe used fordifi'erent makes of automobiles and'a coverplate 'provided for each make in harmony 'withV the* particular finishor designofi'that automobile, which cover-'plate may be readilypositioned over the bracket so'as to bring the bracket intofulllaccord'andlharmony'with the particular interior' finishofthevehicle;

What is claimed is: i

l. A rear view mirror comprising an attaching body portion and meansextending therefrom for supporting a member in a position to expose thebody portion, means eX- tending. through saidlbody portionfor attachingthe same to a. support, .anda cover plate for concealing said bodyportion and said attaching means, said firstmeans eX- tendingjout beyondsaid -cove-rI plate Vforsupporting said member and said cover plateVhavingan attaching part extending behind saidbody portion for-beingsecured between the body vportion and the underlying portion of thesupport.

2.v A rearv view-mirror comprisingaii attaching; body portion: and:means extending therefrom. ifor' supporting, ar member, attach ing;means extending through said body portionfor attachingthe same toafsuppfort, an ornamental cover seated on fthe ybody-portion andconcealing; the -samevand said attaching means while exposing; said.first means, said covenhafvingxa piart'hooking over said'body portion,-andV a lockingr member' passed' through said. cover` and into ya portionLof-.tile

support-:for cooperating with said cover part in securing the *coverY inposition.-`

3. A-detachable cover member'for afmirror suppertin'gl bracket with anVexposedl body.

1portion;y comprising a platehaving ripper: and lower marginal flange Aportions forv seating directly on the structure to whichthecbody portionofrthe bracket isi secured', saidp'late being adapted. to overlie thefbodyfportion.

andliaving' a positioning lug extending." from one flange' portiontoward the otheriflange yportion for interlocking uwith said'ibodyi'por-"tion, said flug lying fin thesameplanefwiththe structure-engaging edgesof said upperfand lower; marginal EHannie?portions, theeridfmarginalnorti'ons of said plate being recessedito permit` ofengagement of said lug vwith isaid Abody portion;l 45'm`ovement.By'polishing'the-'headof* the` 4I A rear'viewmirrorfforfautomobiilesincli'iding asupnorting bracket"consistingof'an attaching body portion, vaseparable finishing cover plate for 1said bodyportien. an linterlockingconnection betweerrsaid bodvportion and said' cover plate; and asinglemeans for securing said interlocking connection-in place and forsecuringqsaidcover pl-ate'direetlyhto the vehicle. v-

5. In a rear view: mirror for automotive equipment. having an attachingportion,v a -cover nlate for the attaching` portion separate anddistinct therefrom. and seated directli7 thereonfto conceal the saine,saidcover plate having spaced lugs engaged over'andfbehind theattachingportion to support the cover plate thereon.'V

6. Ina-rear view mirror for automotive equipment having *an* attaching.portion,v a cover plate for the attaching portion'separate and'distincttherefrom and seated'fdirect- 1y thereon to conceal the same, said coverplate having spaced lugs engaged over and behind the attaching portionto support the cover plate thereon, and means maintaining said lugs inengagement with said attaching portion.

7 An escutcheon plate for rear View mirlror brackets having at one ofits edges integrally formed ears bent downwardly to form a pocketbetween the plate proper and each of the ears, said pockets beingadapted to receive a portion of the mirror bracket with which theescutcheon plate is to be associated, said escutcheon plate beingfurther provided at the' edge opposite the ears with van apertureadapted to receive means for preventing inadvertent disengagement of theears.

8. An escutcheon plate for rear view mirror brackets having anencircling liange forming a compartment to accommodate the part of themirror brackets which it is designed to conceal, means formed inwardlyfrom the edge of said flange on one side of the plate for interlockingwith the mirror brackets and removable means at the other side of theplate to cooperate with said first means for maintaining the interlockedrelationship between the escutcheon plate and the mirror brackets withwhich it is associated.

CHARLES H. OISHEI.

